Harry etheridge



(No Model) 7 2 Sheets-Sheet '1. H. ETHERIDGE. AU TOMATIU $WITCH FORAUTOGRAPHIG TELEGRAPHS.

No. 445,716. Patented Feb.3, 1891.

(N0 Model.) 2 She-etsSheet 2.

H. ETHERIDGE. AUTOMATIG SWITCH FOE AUTOGRAPHIG TELEGRAPHS.

No. 445,716. Patented Feb. 3, 1891.

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UNITED STATES PATENT FFlCE.

HARRY ETHERIDGE, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE \VRITINGTELEGRAPH COMPANY, OF NEIV YORK, N. Y.

AUTOMATIC SWITCH FOR AUTOGRAPHIC TELEGRAPHS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 445,716, dated.February 3, 1891.

Application filed October 29, 1888. Renewed July 12, 1890. Serial No.358,475, (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HARRY ETHERIDGE, a subject of the Queen of GreatBritain, and a resident of Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny andState of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful AutomaticSwitchs for Autographic Telegraphs, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention has reference to means for controlling the circuits betweensubscribers and the central ofiice in an autographic-telegraph-exchangesystem.

The object of the invention is to devise a switching mechanism whichwill be automatic in its operation and thereby obviate the necessity forthe manual adjustment of the mechanism by the subscriber to make therequired connections to throw the transmitter or receiver into or out ofcircuit.

In carrying out my invention the transmitting-stylus is utilized as apartof the switching means, and in the normal condition of the apparatusthe stylus automatically maintains such a relation to the other elementsof the switching means as to keep only the receiver in circuit; but whenthe stylus is moved from its position of rest, when grasped by the handof the operator to transmit a message, the

, connections are automatically so changed as to cut in the transmitter,and when the writing has been done and the operator releases the stylusit at once assumes its normal position and thereby cuts the transmitterout of circuit. It is by such an arrangement that I propose toaccomplish automatically what heretofore was made to depend upon theintelligence and thoughtfulness of the subsoriber.

The invention will now be described in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, which form part of this description, and the subject-matterfor which protection by Letters Patent is desired will be specified atthe end hereof.

In the drawings, in which like features are indicated by like figures ofreference in the several views, Figure 1 is a top plan view of thesupporting-plate for the transmitter, to which certain features of myimprovements are applied, and showing the cap 20 in place. Fig. 2 is asimilar view with the cap 20 removed.

Fig. 3 is acrosssection on the line x x of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a view inside elevation of the form or block which receives the insulated contactpoints or pieces of the switch mechanism. Fig. 5 is a View illustratingdiagrammatically the application of my improvements to anautographic-telegraph-exchange system. Fig.6 is a side view of thecircuit maker and breaker.

Referring to the drawings, 6 indicates the plate, preferably of brass,which supports the transmitter, and it is held in place by the screws 7to the box or case (not shown) containing the writing mechanism of anautographic telegraph, with which each subscriber is supplied. The holes8 are for the purpose of receiving the bolts or rods which secure thetransmitter to the plate 6.

lVithin an opening made in plate 6 there is fitted a form or block 9, ofebonite or other suitable material, for receiving the insulated brasscontact-pieces comprising parts of the switching mechanism. The form 9is provided with a central opening and with a supporting-flange 10, asshown. The insulated brass pieces are five in number, and are indicatedby 11, 12, 123, 14, and 15, and they are secured to the form or block 9by screws 16, which pass entirely through said block, and to insure afirm connection between the parts a number of pins 17 are also made useof, as indicated. When the pieces 11 to 15 are fastened in place aroundthe opening of block 9, they form a central square opening 18, withinwhich the transmitting-stylus 19 is adapted to be manipulated. The cap20, of ebonite or other suitable material, and having a depression inits bottom to receive the tops of pieces 11 to 15, as shown in Fig. 3,and havin g also a square central opening correspond ing to the openingformed by said pieces, is

secured by screws 21 over the top of said form 9 to exclude dust fromthe insulated pieces 11 to 15. The only purpose that brass pieces 1 1and 15 serve is to complete the square 18, and they are insulated fromcontact-pieces 11 and 12, and also from contact-piece 13, andcontact-pieces 11 and 12 are likewise insulated from each other. Theinterior diagonally-op posite angles of square 18, formed by contactpieces 11, 12, and 13, are provided with pieces of platinum 22, asshown, to insure a satisfactory electrical contact between said contact-pieces and the stylus 19, the stylus being also provided with aplatinum contact 23 for a like purpose.

Referring now to Fig. 5 of the drawings, which is designed to illustratethe utilization of myinvention in an antographic-telegraphexchangesystem, 24 indicates the central office, and'25 and 26 two sets ofapparatus including my present improvementssuch as subscribers in adistrict system are supplied with.

The office batteries are indicated by 27 and 28, the battery-plugs by 29and 29, and the openings in the switch-board, which receive thebatteryplugs, by 30 and 30. The line 31 connects the central-officeswitch-board with the magnet 3 of the receiving-instrument, said magnetbeing also connected by wire 33 with contact 11 of the individual switchmechanism.

The transmitter-section for the receivermagnet 32 is indicated by 34,thetransmittersecti'ons consisting of piles of carbon disks, as shown anddescribed in patents to James H. Robertson, No. 350,320, dated October5, 1886, and No. 353,593, dated November 30, 1886, and it is connectedby-wire to contactpiece 11 and is grounded at 30.

The transmitter-section for the receivermagnet 37, which latter isconnected to contact-piece 12 by wire 38, is indicated by 39, and isconnected to contactpiece 12 by wire 40 and grounded at 36, as shown.

Line 41 connects the central-oifice switchboard with contacts 42, (seeFig. (3,) at which point there will be located a circuit breaker andmaker, the latter being connected by wire 43 to receiver-magnet 37. Anysuitable construction of circuit breaker and maker may be employed; butI prefer to make use of that construction shown in my pendingapplication bearing Serial No. 255,342, filed in the United StatesPatent Office November 16, 18.8.7, wherein an arm carrying apair ofar1na tures is pivoted in such relation to electromagnets, preferablythe receiver-magnets, and contacts corresponding to 42 as to becontrolled by said magnets, the circuit. being completed by thedepression of the pivoted arm when the magnets are energized, and brokenby the elevation of said arm when the current is switched off.

The transmitting-stylus 19, besides being pivoted, as usual,-in thebase-plate a of the transmitter, as shown in Fig. 3, is, grounded, as at44. The spring Z9 at the foot of the stylus normally holds the latter incontact with the contact-points 11 and 12, as shown in the drawings, sothat when the stylus is released by the operator after a message hasbeen written it automatically resumes its normal position,with itscontact 23 resting within the platinum faced angle formed bycontactpoints 11 and 12.

At the central office 45 indicates the location of the annunciators, 4(3battery, and 47 annuneiator-magnets connected to the battery 4 3 andgrounded at 48. Vire 49 is conneeted to the central otlice switch-board,and also to the line 41, as shown. The line 41 where it is joined to thebinding-post 50 has an extension 51, which'is connected to contact 13,as shown, and it is brought into play to effect the dropping of theannnnciatorshutter at the central office when the stylus 19 is movedoverin contact with said contactpiece 13, as presently explained.

From the above description of the construction of the mechanism and thedisposition of its various elements the following explana tion of thedirection of the several currents in the operation of theautographic-telegraph-exchange system herein illustrated will be readilycomprehended.

In Fig. 5 of the drawings both sets of apparatus 25 and 26 are incondition for receiving my switching instrumentalities automatically,maintaining the receivers in circuit. If the subscriber controllingapparatus 26 desires to call up the central office, he takes hold of histransmitting-stylus 19, and moving it away from contacts 11 and 12brings it for a momentin contact with contact-point 13 and then permitsit to resume its normal position in contact with points 11 and 12. The1nomentary contact of stylus 19 with contactpiece 13 causes theanrninciator-shutter at the central office to drop, the circuit beingcompleted through the stylus 19 to effect that result, as follows:Beginning at ground 48, to which battery 46 is connected, the circuit isthrough annunciator-magnet 47 and wire 49, thence through line 41 tobinding-post 50, and through wire 51 to contact-piece 13, andto stylus19 to ground 44. Upon receiving the signal communicated in manner justexplained the central-office attendant plugs in the subscriber calling,another office-battery plug being in or maybe put in the ofliceconnection to the office instrument, and said subscriber is then enabledto communicate with the central office, the circuits being as followswhen thus communicating: From the ground of the central-officeinstrument and through said instrument and by line 31 to receivermagnet32,which when energized closes con tacts at 42, from thence through wire33 to contact-piece 11 and through wire 35, trans: mitter-scction 34 toground 36, and from the ground of the central-office instrument andthrough said instrument and through line 41 to receiver-magnet 37, fromthence through wire 38 to contact-piece 12 and through wire 40,transmitter-section 3.9 to ground The central-ofiice attendanthavingplugged in the called subscriber, the calling subscribermoves his stylusaway from contact with contactpieccs 11 and 12, in order to manipulatethe same within square 18 in forming the characters tobe traced by thepen of the receiver, and in this movement he cuts in his transmitter,the circuits then being from ground 36 (of apparatus 26) totransmitter-section 31, through wire 35 to contact-point 11, throughwire 33 to receiver-magnet 32, through line 31 t0 battery-plug 29, toupper battery 28, from thence to battery-plug 29', through line 31 tothe called subscribers apparatus 25 to receiver-magnet 32, wire 33 tocontact-piece 11 to stylus 19 in contact therewith and to ground 44. Thesecond circuit, start-in g from ground 36 of the calling subscribersapparatus, passes to transmitter-section 39 by wire 40 to contact point12, from thence by wire 38 to receivermagnet 37 and to binding-post 50,from thence through line 41 to outside contact of batteryplug 29,through lower battery 27 to outside contact of battery plug 29, fromthence through line 41 to bindingpost 50 of the called subscribersapparatus 25, then to receiverunagnet 37, and by wire 38 to con tactpoint 12 to stylus 19 and to ground 44:. hen the calling subscriber hasfinished writing and releases his transmitting-stylus, the moment itassumes its normal position in contact with contact-points 11 and 12 histransmitter is thrown out of circuit, his instrument being again innormal condition and in readiness to receive a message. It will thus beseen that to normally maintain the receiver in circuit and to bring thetransmitter into circuit when it is desired to send a message and to cutout the transmitter when the message has been sent requires nocalculation or care on the part of the subscriber, the operations beingwholly automatic.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a writing-telegraph, the combination, with a transmitting-styluselectrically connected to ground, of contact-points electricallyconnected to the line, and shifting means arranged to automatically moveand press said stylus against said contact-points, substantially asdescribed.

2. In a writing-telegraph, the combination, with a transmitting-styluselectrically connectedto ground, of contact-points electricallyconnected to the line, and a spring arranged to automatically press saidstylus against said contact-points, substantially as described.

3. In a writing-telegraph, the combination, with a transmitting-styluselectrically connected to ground, of contact-points electricallyconnected With the receiving and transmitting instruments, and a springarranged to automatically press said stylus against said contact-points,substantially as described.

4. In a writing-telegraph,the combination, with a transmitting-stylusconnected to the base by a spring and electrically connected to ground,of contact-points electrically connected to the line, said springserving to press the stylus against said contact-points, substantiallyas described.

5. In a writing-telegraph,the combination, with a transmitting-styluselectrically connected to ground, of a contact-point connected by a lineto a central-office annunciator, said stylus being arranged in proximityto said contact-point, so that it can be brought into contact with thesame to close the circuit through the annunciator to drop the shutter,substantially as described.

6. In a writing-telegraph, the combination, with a transmitting-styluselectrically connected to ground, of two contact-points, each connectedto both receiver and transmitter, and shifting means arranged toautomatically move and press said stylus against said contact-points,substantially as described.

7. In a writing-telegraph,the combination, with a transmittingstyluselectrically connected to ground, of contact-points electricallyconnected to receiver and transmitter, said receiver being connected totransmitter and through transmitter to ground, and shifting meansarranged to automatically move and press said stylus against saidcontactpoints, substantially as described.

8. In a writing-telegraplnthe combination, with a transmitter and areceiver, of contact-points in communication with said receiver, anindependent contact-point in communication with the main line, and agrounded stylus normally resting against the contact-pointscommunicating with the receiver, thereby normally maintaining theapparatus in condition to receive a message and arranged to be movedagainst said independent contact-point to momentarily close the circuitthrough the central-office annunciator-magnet, substantially asdescribed.

9. The combination, with the transmittersupporting plate, of the form orblock 9, having an opening therein and provided With contact pieces, as11, 12, and 13, and a grounded transmitting-stylus, substantially asdescribed.

10. The combination, with block 9, having an opening therein andprovided with contact-pieces 11, 12, and 13, of protecting-cap 20 and agrounded transmitting-stylus, substantially as described.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,this 21st day of September, A. D. 1888.

HARRY EIIIERID GE.

lVitnesses:

J. J. KENNEDY, J. E. M. BOWEN.

IIO

